What Have We Learned?
by Lady MSM
Summary: Lumenna, a young, inexperienced Telerin girl, gets a job tutoring the Sons of Feanor and ends up with a lot more trouble than she bargained for.
1. Employment

**What Have We Learned?**

_**Disclaimer: I don't own the Silmarillion. That's Tolkien's.**_

_**I started writing this after watching the movie "Anna and the King," which, while it had absolutely nothing to do with the Silmarillion, gave me an idea for a story.**_

_**Please review! (I'm cool with getting criticism, but if there is a problem with this story, please be specific about it so I can fix it. Thanks)**_

**Chapter 1: Employment**

_My dear Lady Lumenna,_

_I was extremely relieved at your offer. Lady Nerdanel and I have had an incredibly difficult time getting a tutor for our sons, so we were pleased to have someone volunteering for the position. Please come to our house this Sunday at 10:00 AM to meet the boys and receive your instructions._

_Yours gratefully,_

_Feanor son of King Finwe of the Noldor_

Prince Feanor's letter was very short and to the point, but the effect it had on Lady Lumenna of Alqualonde was profound. She screamed and nearly jumped a foot in the air.

"Valar preserve us, what is it, child?" said her mother, Tasare.

The young woman collapsed into a chair opposite her mother. "Oh, it's amazing, Ma! I've gotten the job!"

"And what job might that be?" asked Tasare, not bothering to look up from her embroidery.

"Ma! Please pay attention to me, I've been talking about this for weeks!" exclaimed Lumenna, pushing a few strands of golden-brown hair off of her forehead. "The job as tutor to Prince Feanor's sons."

Tasare glanced up. "Good heavens! Why on earth would you want _that _for a job? Tutoring seven boys…I'd never survive. Why can't you just stay home and help me with the housework like a good girl?"

"We've gone over this before, Ma," said Lumenna. "This job will be a chance to get out of Alqualonde— to try new things— to _help _people. I don't want to sit around the house doing embroidery and waiting for someone to propose to me. I want to go out and _do _something!"

"All right, all right, child," said Tasare amiably. "If that's what you really want. But it won't be easy, I warn you. These Noldor can be awfully stubborn, from what I've heard."

"Don't worry, I'll be fine." Lumenna checked the clock and stood up sharply. "My stars, is that the time? I'd better get packing. I'll be moving to Tirion tomorrow."

"Moving?" said Tasare, sitting up straighter. "You never said anything about moving!"

"Ma, I must've told you a dozen times! 'If I get this job,' I said, 'I'll be moving to Tirion and coming home on weekends.' Weren't you _listening_?"

"I can't be expected to keep everything straight," said Tasare. "I'm only one woman. But enough talk, let's get packing."

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The next day, Lumenna grabbed her bags, bid farewell to her mother, and got on the carriage that would take her to Tirion.

"So, milady," said the carriage driver, a dark-haired gentleman with thick, bushy eyebrows. "Why are you off to the City?"

"I've gotten a teaching position with a very wealthy family there," explained Lumenna. "I want to earn a bit of money for myself, before I settle down, you know."

"That's wise," said the driver, nodding approvingly. "I think that it's good for a girl to work for a while before she gets married. Get used to the world and all. So who will you be working for?"

"I'll be teaching Prince Feanor's sons," said Lumenna.

The driver frowned. "You'll have your work cut out for you then. I've heard that those boys are nearly impossible. The oldest's a devil, and the second one is just odd. The other five…they're just as bad. Stubborn as their father and spoiled rotten."

Lumenna was unnerved a bit at hearing this, but kept her composure. "I'm sure I'll be fine."

"You're a brave girl," said the driver with a shrug. They spoke no more for the rest of the long ride.

Several hours later, the carriage arrived in Tirion and pulled up beside a large, fancy-looking white house. Lumenna could feel her heart starting to beat faster. This was it…this was the house she'd be living in five days a week from now on. If she survived, that was.

"House of Feanor, milady," said the driver. "Need help with your bags?"

"Oh…no," said Lumenna quickly. "I can get them." She pulled her heavy bags out of the carriage and smiled at the driver. "Thanks for the ride."

He nodded. "Anytime, milady. Good luck…" The carriage drove off before he finished his sentence, but Lumenna knew what he would have said— _you're going to need it_.

Summoning up all her courage (of which there wasn't much), she knocked on the door. It was opened a second later by a woman in a grey dress with disheveled copper hair and emerald-green eyes. She brightened when she saw Lumenna.

"So yer here, then!" she said in a strong Northeastern accent. "Ye _are _the new tutor, aren't ye? Lady Lumenna?"

"Er…yes, I am," said Lumenna.

"Excellent! I'm Lady Nerdanel. Come in and put down yer bags."

Lumenna was temporarily shocked. This friendly, down-to-earth woman was Feanor's wife? If so, maybe working here wouldn't be too bad. She set down her luggage in the entrance and followed Nerdanel down the hall.

Nerdanel knocked on the third door they came to. "Feanor? Lady Lumenna is here."

"Ah, yes. Bring her in."

_**Notes: Same as with my other story— I know that Nerdanel has a weird accent. It just worked for her. Don't kill me.**_

_**And I use English names for the days of the week instead of Elvish, because I forgot the Elvish names for the days of the week and what does it really matter anyway?**_


	2. Welcome to the Jungle

**Chapter 2: Welcome to the Jungle**

The door was opened, and Lumenna stepped into a dimly lit study. A thin, black-haired Elf sat at a desk, furiously writing something down. He glanced up as Lumenna and Nerdanel entered. "So this is the girl. Very well. Have a seat, Lady Lumenna."

"Yes, Sir," said Lumenna, sitting down in a nearby chair.

"There's no need to call me 'sir.' Lord Feanor will do fine."

"Yes, s…Lord Feanor."

"Now, first of all, let me say welcome," said Feanor, with an encouraging smile. "I certainly hope that you will enjoy teaching our sons…"

"…or at least tolerate them!" added Nerdanel.

Lumenna laughed nervously. "I hope I will, too, Lord Feanor." She had to struggle to keep from biting her nails.

"Excellent. Also, if there's ever anything you need, ask Nerdanel or I, or one of the servants. You're a member of the family now, and we want to make you as comfortable as possible."

"Thank you."

"Well, I think that's it," said Feanor, standing up. "Would you like to meet the boys?"

"Oh…yes, certainly!" said Lumenna, standing up awkwardly and banging her ankle. She followed Feanor and Nerdanel out of the study, feeling fairly terrified.

"Ye'll only be teaching the five oldest," said Nerdanel. "Amrod and Amras are only three and they're a bit young to be starting their education properly. That'll take some stress off yer mind."

It did, Lumenna had to admit. Still, she found it hard not to point out that five boys wasn't a whole lot better than seven. How on earth had Feanor and Nerdanel managed to HAVE this many children, anyway?

The three of them stopped by a large oak door. "The boys are in the sitting room," said Feanor. "I'll let you get acquainted with them." He and Nerdanel turned and walked away, leaving Lumenna staring at the doorway. Suddenly she felt very young.

"Now, now, Lumenna," she told herself sternly. "You didn't get this job just to back out on it. They can't possibly be as bad as people say. _Nothing is going to go wrong_." With that, she pushed open the door and entered the sitting room.

Five boys of varying ages were scattered about the room. As soon as they heard Lumenna come in, they leaped up and got into line— according to age, she assumed. Feanor had his sons well-trained. The thought _like dogs _came into her mind, but she dismissed it. Smiling, she stood in front of them.

"Hello," she said. "I am Lady Lumenna, your new tutor. Please tell me your names and how old you are."

"Maedhros. Seventeen," said the first, a copper-haired boy who was slightly taller than Lumenna. Ah, so this was the one people considered a devil. He was grinning like all of this was great fun. Lumenna wrote "Maedhros17" in the notebook she always carried with her, and nodded at the next boy.

"Maglor," said the next boy, in a voice so quiet that Lumenna had to strain to hear him. "Fourteen."

The tutor eyed him closely. The carriage driver had said that Feanor's second son was "odd," and Lumenna couldn't deny that he looked it. He was dressed in black from head to toe, and his dark auburn hair reached halfway down his back, making him look much older than fourteen. Rather than looking her directly in the eye, like Maedhros had, Maglor was staring at the rug like it was fascinating.

Remembering why she was there, Lumenna wrote "Maglor14" in her book and turned to the next brother, who had chin-length blonde hair and a very bored look on his handsome face.

"Celegorm," he drawled. "Eleven."

Lumenna noted this in her book and nodded at the second-youngest, a tough-looking nine-year-old boy with messy black hair who introduced himself as Caranthir. After Caranthir came Curufin, aged seven, with wavy dark hair and ink stains on his hands.

"Very good," said Lumenna. "May I ask you a question?"

"Well, isn't that what you're supposed to do?" said Maedhros. "Seeing as you're a teacher and all."

"I guess so," Lumenna replied. "Why is it that, when I entered, you all lined up so perfectly? It couldn't possibly have been instinct."

"Dad told us to," said Maglor, this time speaking loud enough so that she could hear him properly. He really had a lovely voice, reflected Lumenna. "Normally we're not nearly this organized."

"Particularly you, Maglor!" said Celegorm.

"Oh, hush," said Maedhros. "You were saying, Lady Lumenna?"

Lumenna blinked. She realized that she didn't really have a plan.

"All right then," she said finally. "Why don't we all sit down." The boys did so, as did Lumenna. "Since I'm going to be teaching you," she said, "I think we ought to know a bit about each other. As I've said, my name is Lady Lumenna, and I'm from Alqualonde. If this job opportunity hadn't come up, I'd still be at home taking care of Ma. She didn't want me to go to work, since she didn't want to be left alone at home."

"Where's your dad in all this?" asked Curufin impudently.

"My dad is a sailor, so he's not at home much," explained Lumenna.

"Really, Curufin, you shouldn't ask such personal questions," scolded Caranthir.

"Actually, I don't mind," said Lumenna. "I want you boys to think of me as a friend and not just a teacher. I was young once too, you know."

Maedhros raised an eyebrow. "You're not anything like the other teachers we've had, then. I think they were _trying _to make us not like them."

"What sort of things did they do wrong?" Lumenna asked. "Just so I can know what to avoid."

"They were _dull_," said Celegorm immediately.

"They gave us long, boring lectures, when what they wanted to say could have been said in five minutes," said Caranthir.

"They were too strict."

"They snapped at us when we fidgeted."

"They kept us inside on really nice days."

"They made everything difficult."

"They were too stiff and formal."

"They said I was silly when I asked questions," whispered Maglor.

Lumenna glanced up from her notebook, where she had been writing everything down. "Well, I can assure you that I'll never do that. You won't learn anything if you can't ask questions, after all."

"If you keep talking like that, I may actually start enjoying lessons," commented Maedhros.

"That's very encouraging, but we haven't even started lessons yet!" laughed Lumenna. "That won't begin until Monday. I still have to ask your parents what exactly I'm supposed to do." She heard a sigh of relief go around the room. "This morning, I figured we'd just talk, so I can spend the afternoon getting settled. How's that?"

"It's not really up to us, is it?" said Curufin. "You're an adult; you can do pretty much whatever you want."

"She obviously can't do _whatever _she wants," said Celegorm. "It's not like she could steal or burn down the house or anything. We have _laws_, you know."

Lumenna leaned back in her chair and smiled as the boys continued to argue. She had a feeling that teaching the Sons of Feanor would be quite a bit of fun.

_**More notes: Ok, about this whole age thing. First of all, all the ages in this story are in Elf-years, one of which I'm guessing is a little more than two human years. Elves come of age at about fifty human years, which I think is about twenty-one Elf-years. I'm just guessing on this, mind you.**_


	3. A Letter and a Council

**Chapter 3: A Letter and a Council**

"Your room, milady," said the maid, setting down Lumenna's bags. "If there's anything else you need, please call me."

Lumenna thanked her and looked around the elegantly furnished bedroom. Feanor and Nerdanel had told her that every one of their tutors had stayed there— she'd almost been afraid to ask how many they'd gone through. Now that she'd met the boys, though, it seemed hard to believe that they were as awful as everyone had told her.

The room was exactly to Lumenna's taste, with walls that were painted a pale yellow color and a large desk in the corner. It was rather small, but Lumenna was used to small. Her family had never been rich, and their house had reflected it. The Feanorean household really seemed quite luxurious. Sighing with contentment, Lumenna sat down at the desk and wrote a letter to her mother.

_Dear Ma,_

_Well, I'm all settled in, and it's perfect here! My room is incredibly comfortable, and Lord Feanor and Lady Nerdanel are kind. As for the boys…well, let's just say that the rumors about them aren't all true. For the most part they're very nice, if you approach them the right way. I think we sort of bonded._

_Maedhros is the oldest. He's very friendly and outspoken, and, I think, a bit of a flirt. He told me that I have very pretty eyes. Now, Ma, I don't think that a seventeen-year-old boy ought to be complimenting a grown woman who isn't even a relative._

_Maglor is three years younger than Maedhros, and is very polite and well-behaved, but he hardly ever says anything. I wonder why…that's a mystery I must figure out, I suppose. He only spoke three times this morning!_

_Celegorm is eleven and acts like he's a lot older. As far as I can tell, he loves animals and that sort of thing, and in fact has his own dog— a gigantic grey creature named Huan. I like Huan already, but Celegorm, I think, has been a bit spoiled. I shall have to tread carefully around him._

_Caranthir is nine and stubborn as a mule. If you had heard him arguing with the other boys, Ma! The boy's got a tongue sharper than a fish scale. But still, I rather like him._

_Curufin is seven and seems to specialize in acting like his father. They've got the same smirk and crafty way of winning arguments. I think he'll be very interesting (if difficult) to teach._

_Then there's the twins, Amrod and Amras, aged three. I don't teach them, of course, since they're much too young to be tutored, but I met them at lunch today. They both have bright copper hair and are very sweet. I look forward to when they're five and I can begin educating them._

_Will you please excuse me as dinner is ready and I must go down and eat. I truly do think I'll like it here, Ma._

_Your loving daughter,_

_Lumenna_

Putting down her pen, Lumenna left her room, gave her letter to the dark-haired girl who had shown her to her room in the first place, and hurried down the stairs. Feanor and his family were already sitting around the table when she arrived.

"Ah, Lady Lumenna," said Nerdanel. "How are ye liking yer room, then?"

"It's very nice," said Lumenna. "Thank you for asking."

"Remember when old Master Annatar worked here?" laughed Maedhros. "He complained about _everything_, especially that room. Even Dad was relieved when he quit, weren't you, Dad?"

Feanor smiled slightly. "I have to admit that I don't miss him."

"I'm ashamed of the lot of ye," said Nerdanel. "What Lady Lumenna must think of the way yer talking!"

"Oh, I don't mind," said Lumenna quickly. "I'm trying to learn what to avoid in my work here. The more suggestions I get the better."

"You can't please everyone," muttered Maglor. Everyone at the table looked at him, but he didn't seem to notice and continued eating.

"Lady Lumenna," said Amras solemnly, "aren't you _awful _young to be a teacher?"

Lumenna shrugged. "I'm no younger than I should be."

"What's that mean?" asked Caranthir.

"Exactly what it sounds like," said Celegorm, and no more was said on the subject.

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At about 11:00 at night, Lumenna awoke and realized she needed a glass of water. Since she didn't want to wake any of the servants, she decided to get it herself.

To get to the stairs, she had to pass six other rooms. When she'd gone to bed they'd been silent, but now she heard noise coming from behind one of the doors. Straining her ears, Lumenna could hear boys' voices. After a brief debate with herself on whether this was right or not, she walked to the door (which she could now tell was Maedhros', due to the sign on it that said "Maedhros' Room. Keep out unless you're a cute girl or one of my friends") and pressed her ear against it.

"Well, gentlemen, I call this council to order," said Maedhros' voice. "I assume all five of us are here."

"I'm not," said Caranthir.

"Shut up. All righty then, what do you fellows think of our new tutor?"

"What kind of a question is that?" asked Celegorm. "We haven't even had a proper lesson with her yet."

"That doesn't matter. We've all met her, we know what she's like. So what do you think?"

"She seems all right," said Curufin. "More interesting than out our previous teachers, anyway."

"You wouldn't know anything about our previous _teachers_," Celegorm pointed out. "You're only seven. The only other tutor you've ever known is Master Annatar. But I'll admit, she's heaps nicer than _him_."

"She's cool," said Caranthir. "Not a lot of teachers have tried to be friendly with us. And _none _of them ever treated us like equals."

Lumenna had to bite back a sigh of relief. She'd so hoped that the boys wouldn't think of her as just another condescending adult.

"I think she's the best teacher we're ever likely to get," said Maglor quietly. "All the others seemed frightened of us. She wasn't." That wasn't exactly true, thought Lumenna. Actually, she'd been terrified. She just hadn't shown it.

"Well, all in all, I think Lady Lumenna's just great," said Maedhros conclusively. "She's smart, and she knows how to talk to kids. Besides, she's pretty. When was the last time we had a truly pretty teacher?"

"Not since I was five," said Maglor. Was it her imagination, or was there a tone of guilt in his voice?

"And you got rid of _her_, didn't you, Maglor," said Caranthir.

"Oh, hush, Caranthir, you were just a baby then," said Maedhros. "You don't even remember it."

"I've heard the story," said Caranthir stiffly.

Hoping to hear exactly how Maglor had gotten rid of his teacher, Lumenna leaned even closer to the door, but instead heard Maedhros saying, "Okay, we'd better get back to bed before someone hears us. Night, all."

The teacher took to her heels and jumped back into bed a moment before the door opened. She'd forgotten all about her glass of water.


	4. Getting in the Groove

**Chapter 4: Getting in the Groove**

The next day, Lumenna woke at 7:29 in the morning. For a brief moment she didn't realize where she was, and wondered what had happened to her room, until she realized that she was in Lord Feanor's house and had thirty-one minutes to get ready for her first lesson. With a faint scream, she leaped out of bed and started to get dressed.

Just as she had finished pinning up her hair, the maid (whose name Lumenna still didn't know) poked her head in the door. "Your breakfast, milady," she said, setting a tray on the nightstand and starting to leave.

"Hold it," said Lumenna. "Come back in here."

The maid turned and curtseyed, looking anxious. "Is there something wrong, milady?"

"No, but would you like to sit down and share this with me?" asked Lumenna. "I don't think I can eat a breakfast this size myself."

"Why…thank you, milady," said the maid, sitting down on the edge of Lumenna's bed and biting into a piece of toast.

"Please just call me Lumenna," said Lumenna. "What's your name?"

"Gilraen," said the maid.

"How old are you?"

"Eighteen. And you, if you don't mind me asking?"

"Twenty-two."

"Goodness, you're quite young for a teacher."

"I think young teachers do a better job, personally. They can usually relate to kids better."

"That makes sense. Is that why you wanted this job, to prove that point?"

"Not exactly. I mainly wanted this job so I could actually _do _something in my life, something to help people. Also, I wanted to make a bit of money, so I can take care of Ma and I when Dad's away. So why did you decide to work here?"

Gilraen shrugged. "I needed work, and my father knows Nerdanel's father, so it all worked out. Besides, over the years, I've become rather fond of the family."

"Over the _years_?" asked Lumenna. "How long have you worked here, exactly?"

"Three years. I left home when I was fifteen."

"What kind of an education have you gotten?" Lumenna didn't want Gilraen to think she was being nosy, but hey, she was a teacher. She had a professional interest in how on earth Gilraen had managed to complete her schooling at the age of fifteen before getting a job.

"I went to the public school until I was eleven, and then I had to stay home and help Mother with the housework. My father's away quite often, like yours, and so I didn't have much time for education."

Oh dear, thought Lumenna, and accidentally said it aloud. Gilraen's face became angry.

"Well, it's not my fault!" she cried. "I'd love to be as smart as other girls my age and be able to get a better job than this, but I can't! At least not until I've sent enough money home so that we can pay off our debts. So don't you dare judge me!"

"I wasn't judging you, Gilraen," said Lumenna soothingly. "I know it's not your fault. You're being a good daughter to your parents. But look here, I've got an idea. How would you like it if I tutored you a bit, privately, in the evenings?"

"You'd do that?" said Gilraen, looking amazed. "Oh, thank you, milady— I mean, Lumenna!"

"Don't even mention it. After all, I'm a teacher. This is my job." Lumenna glanced up at the clock. "Speaking of which, I'd better get downstairs or I'll get fired. Excuse me, Gilraen." She stood up, dusted off her skirt, and ran downstairs just as the clock struck eight o'clock.

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"This," commented Maedhros, "is probably the first time in all of history that the teacher has been later the students."

Lumenna reddened slightly. "Yes, I suppose it might be. Anyway, shall we begin?"

"Let's not, and say we did," said Celegorm, earning a laugh from most of the other boys.

"That _would _be the easier route, but remember, I'm getting paid to teach you boys," said Lumenna. "You're all different ages, so I assume you're all at different points in your educations. How did your other teachers deal with that?"

Maedhros answered, as usual. "They'd sort of generally talk about something and then individually help us. Except in math, in which case they'd just go from the book."

Lumenna nodded, feeling slightly relieved. She hadn't known at all what she was going to do about the age differences, and silently thanked the Valar that Maedhros had helped her before she made a fool of herself. Taking a deep breath, she began. "Now, where are you all at in your history lessons?"

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The day went by in what seemed like no time at all. It would have been, Lumenna thought, quite satisfactory if not for three things: Maedhros slacking off, Celegorm correcting her in front of everyone, and Maglor not speaking at all. The first two things hadn't been too hard to deal with— Lumenna had had words with Maedhros during lunch, and she's simply gone along with Celegorm's corrections (those that were right, that is, which most of them were. Celegorm was remarkably intelligent for an eleven-year-old), but she had no idea what to do about Maglor. He'd worked hard and caused no trouble, but he was always dead silent and never looked her in the eye.

_There's something troubling him_, she thought. _I wonder what it is…_

"Lumenna!" called Gilraen, knocking on her door. "Lady Nerdanel and Lord Feanor want to see you!"

"All right." Lumenna set down her notebook, in which she'd been recording the day's events, and followed Gilraen down the stairs. She entered Lord Feanor's study, where her employers were waiting.

"Sit down, Lady Lumenna," said Nerdanel, indicating a chair. "How'd the boys behave, then?"

"Oh, they were fine," said Lumenna, sitting down. "Maedhros was a bit inattentive, but we sorted that out."

Feanor smiled. "Yes, he's like that sometimes." His face became more serious. "Tell me, did you get Maglor to speak at all?"

"No, not really. He only spoke twice, and only said about twelve words, total."

Nerdanel sighed. "Sure and I'd been hoping…oh, never mind. It never does work. No matter what happens, we can't be getting that boy to carry on a conversation."

"Have you any idea what the reason for that is?" asked Lumenna. "It seems like something's bothering him."

"I'm sure I don't know," said Feanor. "I haven't the slightest idea what to do with that boy. He never shows any interest in his schoolwork, or anything _useful_."

"Don't ye worry about it, dear," said Nerdanel to Lumenna. "If anyone can be getting through to Maglor, it's yerself. Ye've got a way about ye."

Lumenna nodded and left, briefly wondering what Lord Feanor considered "useful" interests.

_**Note on Gilraen's explanation of her education: I don't know if they had public schools in Valinor, but for plot purposes, I'm assuming they did.**_


	5. Gambling Debts

**Chapter 5: Gambling Debts**

"You're so kind to do this, Lumenna," said Gilraen, sitting on Lumenna's bed that night after dinner. "Are you sure that you don't mind?"

"Of course I don't mind," Lumenna replied. "I've corrected the boys' homework and gone over my lesson plan, so I haven't got anything else to do. Now, exactly how far did you get in your arithmetic lessons at the public school?"

Gilraen picked up Lumenna's math textbook and flipped to a chapter on long division. "About here. At least, that's what we were studying when I left."

"All right, then, let's get started. Do you get the general idea of this, or do I need to go through the entire thing?"

"Oh, I understand division in general. But I never really learned it in detail."

They discussed long division for the next hour or so. Lumenna at first felt a bit sorry for Gilraen—after all, _she'd _learned all this when she was eleven, and Gilraen was eighteen and had barely learned it at all, but pity was soon replaced by admiration as she saw how quickly the girl learned. In a very short time they'd covered the entire chapter, and Gilraen was eagerly asking her what they'd work on next. Lumenna laughed.

"Quite honestly, Gilraen, I don't think I'm quite ready to move onto anything else yet. All this math has quite worn me out."

"You're a very good teacher," said Gilraen. "I don't think I'd have learned half so much if someone else had been doing the teaching."

"Well, you're a very good student," said Lumenna. "How on earth did you manage to pick this up so quickly?"

"I guess I'm just desperate to learn everything as quickly as I can," admitted Gilraen. "I really want to catch up, so I can get a better job and support my family until Father gets back on his feet…um, never mind."

"Gilraen," said Lumenna cautiously, "is everything all right at your house? You said earlier that your family had some debts, but…"

"No, that wasn't everything," said Gilraen. "My father's a blacksmith, but not a great one—just average, you know—and so he doesn't earn much from that. Lately he's started gambling, to try to make some more money, but he never wins, and so now we've got even less money than we started out with. We've been having to sell a lot of our furniture. And Father's never at home, he's always at the forge or a tavern…" She broke down and burst into tears. Lumenna patted her comfortingly on the back.

"I know how you feel, Gilraen. It's hard when your family's in trouble. But it's not your fault."

"Yes it is!" cried Gilraen. "Mother and Father got married too young, before they'd had a chance to figure things out, and then I was born and they had to take care of me, and I practically made them go broke!"

"I wish there was something I could do," said Lumenna.

"There isn't," said Gilraen, sniffing. "But thanks anyway, Lumenna. You're really great."

"Thank you, dear. Same time tomorrow?"

"Of course." Gilraen sat up and wiped her eyes. "I'd better get going. Clean up the house before bed, you know."

"Good night."

"Good night."

The servant girl left, leaving Lumenna wide awake and very concerned.

_There has to be _something _I can do to help her._

_But what?_


	6. Viva la Weekend

**Chapter 6: Viva la Weekend**

Five days went by in what seemed like no time at all, and soon it was Friday evening and Lumenna was packing up her bags for her weekend visit home. All in all, the week had gone fairly well. Lumenna was pretty sure that the boys trusted her, and they behaved well in class (though Celegorm still corrected her and Maglor remained silent). Gilraen was also doing well— in a week she'd devoured nearly a month's worth of lessons.

By an odd coincidence, Lumenna ended up taking the exact same carriage she'd taken on the way to Tirion. The driver seemed rather relieved to see her.

"So you're still alive," he said. "You must be tougher than you look."

"Actually, that's not it at all," said Lumenna. "It turns out that the Sons of Feanor aren't half as bad as people say."

"Hmm," said the driver. "Or maybe you're just a very unconventional lady."

Lumenna thought about that for a moment. Did she just get along with Feanor's family because she was unusual? She'd always thought of herself as an ordinary Telerin girl. Could it be possible that she was wrong after all? She was very glad when they finally reached Alqualonde and could stop worrying before she gave herself a headache.

"Is this the right stop, milady?" asked the driver.

Lumenna peered out of the window. "Yes, this is my house. Thank you for the ride."

"Of course, milady. It's a living, after all."

Picking up her bags (which were considerably lighter than they'd been when she first left home), Lumenna handed the driver his payment and ran to her house, where she banged loudly on the door. "Open up, Ma! It's me, Lumenna!"

The door swung open, revealing a tall, rather shabbily-dressed man with Lumenna's golden-brown hair and green eyes. He grinned when he saw her.

"Lumenna!" cried her father. "How are things?"

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"When did you get home?" Lumenna asked. She, Tasare, and Elenion (this was the name of her father) were at this time sitting in their living room, drinking tea. Elenion laughed.

"Just a few hours ago, actually," he replied. "Your mother explained to me about your new job. I remember being very surprised that _my _daughter was teaching the children of royalty."

"_I_ told her that she was getting herself into a lot of unnecessary trouble," said Tasare. "Teaching five boys! That's hardly better than seven. And she'll have to be teaching the youngest ones before long."

"Ma, Feanor's boys are lovely," said Lumenna, not remembering that she'd been worried about the exact same thing not long ago. "Perhaps a bit spoiled, yes, but we get along fine. And I won't mind teaching the twins at all."

"Well, I hope you won't," said Tasare, sounding unconvinced. "But I don't like the sound of that Maedhros boy. Such boldness!"

"Why, what did he say?" asked Elenion.

"He _said_," said Tasare dramatically, "that our Lumenna had _very pretty eyes_."

"Well, she _has _got very pretty eyes," said Elenion. "I don't see why this Maedhros oughtn't to tell her so."

"He's _seventeen_!" said Lumenna and Tasare at the same time.

"So what of it? That's only five years younger than Lumenna. And you could do worse than to marry a Noldorin prince, my girl."

"Dad! I'm _not _going to marry one of my students!"

"All right, all right, no need to overreact. I was only joking. But really, don't you think that you ought to consider getting married soon? You're twenty-two. Most girls are at least betrothed by your age."

Lumenna pouted. "You sound just like Grandmamma."

"It's in his blood to nag about marriage," said Tasare. "Which reminds me, Elenion, we haven't seen your mother in ages. She must miss you. We ought to visit her this weekend."

"Please, Tasare, I just got back from a voyage!" protested Elenion. "Don't you think I've had enough stress lately?"

"For the love of the Valar, Elenion, I think I value your mother more than you do! She is a fine, upstanding woman, and you ought to respect her more." Tasare scowled at her husband, who sighed.

"Fine. I suppose we should be grateful that it's _my_ mother I don't like, and not yours. We'll visit her tomorrow."

"Excellent!" said Lumenna brightly. Secretly, thought, she was dreading it. Grandmamma Anarrima was strict and proud, and enjoyed pointing out Lumenna's slightest faults. She suddenly found herself longing to go back to Tirion. At least no one twitted her about being single _there_.

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True to his word, Elenion brought his family to his mother's house the next day. Grandmamma Anarrima lived on the other side of town, but they walked anyway. Lumenna's father was a strong advocate of good exercise (it came with being a sailor).

_I wish we didn't have to do this_, thought Lumenna miserably. _I can't _stand _Grandmamma Anarrima. She'll twit me about my clothes and my hair and criticize my job. How'd she ever get to be so sour, anyway? No wonder Grandpapa's hardly ever home._

Her father smiled at her. "Cheer up, Lumenna. It won't be so awful. Besides, you're a grown woman now. You can stand up to her."

"She always makes me feel like such a little girl," said Lumenna.

"Don't let her get to you. I know my mother, and believe me, the weaker you are, the harder she strikes."

Lumenna nodded, but secretly thought that no amount of stubbornness could ever make her redoubtable grandmother back down. _And since when has Dad ever stood up to her? He takes her abuse like the rest of us…_

"We're here!" said Tasare, gazing up at Grandmamma Anarrima's house formidable stone house with an expression of delight on her face. Tasare had always adored her mother-in-law, even though Anarrima wasn't exactly polite to her (Elenion said that this was because Grandmamma Anarrima had once complimented Tasare's hair). Lumenna reached up to knock on the door, but Elenion stopped her.

"Let's not knock," he whispered. "I want to give my dear old mother a scare." His daughter grinned and nodded. Tasare sighed, rolled her eyes, and followed the other two inside.

They crept thought the gigantic house until they found the parlor. Grandmamma Anarrima's parlor didn't have a door, just a wide, tall entrance. She said this was because she didn't want a barrier separating her from her guests— however, it did make it rather easy for Elenion to sneak up behind her noiselessly and cry "Hello, Mother!"

Grandmamma Anarrima shrieked and leaped up, throwing her book across the room. "Elenion!" she said shrilly. "You should know better than to sneak up on me like that! I raised you to have _manners_!"

Lumenna cringed slightly as she took in the entire grand personage of Lady Anarrima of Alqualonde.

She was beautiful, of course— Lumenna often thought that she'd like her grandmother a lot more if she was a bit less attractive. Grandmamma Anarrima had long, wavy silver hair, brilliant dark eyes, and a slim, elegant figure that her red silk dress showed off to perfection. It is quite a tragedy to a girl, thought Lumenna, when her grandmother is prettier than her.

"Well!" said Grandmamma Anarrima. "So you've _finally_ come to visit me. I haven't seen you in seven months, Elenion. A more ungrateful boy there's never been."

"I've been on a voyage, Mother," said Elenion coolly. "I came as soon as I could."

Grandmamma Anarrima sniffed. "Oh, any excuse will do, I suppose." She turned to Tasare. "You're getting a bit plump, I see, Tasare. You should really get more exercise."

Tasare smiled. "Excellent advice, Lady Anarrima."

"You look so much like your father, Lumenna," said Grandmamma Anarrima, fixing her cold black eyes on her granddaughter. "_What _a pity."

Lumenna didn't say anything. She was used to this remark, as it was how Grandmamma Anarrima always greeted her.

"Well, I suppose you'll want to sit down," said Grandmamma Anarrima. "Mind you don't dirty the rug. I just had it cleaned." Elenion, Tasare, and Lumenna sat, being careful not to touch said rug. It wasn't a very pretty rug anyway. Lumenna wondered why Grandmamma Anarrima, who had just sat down across from her, was so protective of it.

"How are you, Grandmamma?" she asked politely.

"As if you'd care about that. All you children care about is yourselves. But yes, I am feeling young as ever. Unlike that father of yours, Elenion."

"Where is Father, anyway?" asked Elenion, glancing round.

"He's gone to Valimar on business, leaving me alone, as usual. Sometimes I don't think there's a soul in the world that cares about me."

Lumenna snorted with laughter. Grandmamma Anarrima looked at her sharply. "May I ask what you find so dreadfully amusing, Lumenna?"

"I was just thinking…that's ridiculous, Grandmamma," said Lumenna hurriedly. "Lots of people care about you. We all do, and so does Grandpapa. He just works hard so you can have all the nice things he thinks you deserve." _But actually don't_, she added in her mind.

Grandmamma Anarrima looked slightly gratified for a moment before returning to her usual critical self. "I hear you've got a job now."

"Yes, I do," said Lumenna." I'm tutoring Prince Feanor of the Noldor's five oldest sons."

"The _Noldor_?" said Grandmamma Anarrima, raising an eyebrow. "For heaven's sakes, girl, don't go associating with those hoity-toity smiths. Stick with your own kind. Anyway, I've heard those sons of Feanor's are holy terrors. You can't honestly think you're qualified for such a job."

How dare she! Lumenna could feel her face heating up. What right had her grandmother to tell her she wasn't qualified to teach five boys she'd never even met? "Now hold on a minute, Grandmamma," she said, standing up. "I have an excellent education and good manners, and I am perfectly qualified to teach Prince Feanor's sons. Besides, the Noldor are very nice people and my students are fine!" Lumenna sat down, flushed and exhilarated.

"There's no need to fly into a temper," said Grandmamma Anarrima, looking a bit shocked. "I'm sure I don't care who you teach as long as you behave yourself. But did you know that there was a rip in your hem?"

Lumenna shot a grin at her father, who returned it. She'd finally stood up to Grandmamma Anarrima. Not that it'd made much of a difference.


	7. A Long, Drab Winter

**Chapter 7: A Long, Drab Winter**

After that weekend, things seemed to speed up a bit. September and October passed, as did November, and soon it was the dead of winter. By this time Lumenna was often spending her weekends in Tirion, as the heavy snow made it hard to get to Alqualonde and Feanor's house was warm and comfortable.

Things weren't exactly perfect, though. Gilraen's progress in her lessons had slowed down a bit, and whenever she was allowed a short leave to see her family she returned with bruises on her arms. She'd never say where she got them, though Lumenna was beginning to suspect that her father hit her.

She hadn't been having a lot of luck with her other student, either. It being winter and rather dull, the boys had been increasingly unruly during class (particularly Maedhros and Celegorm, the usual troublemakers). Maglor had been doing poorly on his arithmetic homework and still hardly ever talked, and not a day went by when someone wasn't late for class— including Lumenna herself.

_Good Gods, I'm becoming like every other tutor this family's ever had_, Lumenna thought. She sighed. _I feel so…old. And so dull that I could fall asleep right now._

This may indeed have happened if she hadn't at that moment spilled hot coffee on her grey woolen dress. Cursing silently, she set down her mug and went upstairs to change into something clean. The steps seemed particularly tiring that day. For the least week the weather outside had been incredibly gloomy and dark, and the moods of everyone in the house reflected it. Gilraen hadn't shown up for lessons for the past two days— Lumenna had heard her crying in her room. The poor girl was having an awful time of it.

Lumenna heaved another sigh. How she wished it could be summer again, so she could stop wearing such heavy clothes and things wouldn't seem so dull…she stopped in her tracks as she heard a sound drifting down the hall towards her. It sounded vaguely like someone singing. But before she could investigate, it died out, and Lumenna dragged herself to her room.

Gilraen crept in later that evening. "I…I'm here for my lesson, Lumenna."

"Oh, good!" said Lumenna. "Are you feeling all right?"

"Yes, I'm not bad. I hope you're not mad at me for skipping these last few nights? I'm awfully sorry."

"Don't worry, I'm not angry. I know things have been hard for you lately. But if your father's so mean to you, why don't you stay here for the weekends, like I usually do?"

"I wish I could. But Mother says she misses me loads when I'm away, and I feel obligated to visit her."

"A lot like my dad," mused Lumenna. "He can't stand his mother, but visits her because she'll make him feel horribly guilty if he doesn't."

"That isn't like me at all!" said Gilraen indignantly. "I _love _my mother."

"Well, I never said they were exactly alike. But enough of that. Let's begin where we left off."

They began, but Lumenna's mind wasn't really on her teaching. She couldn't stop wondering what to do to help Gilraen. There didn't seem to be a lot she could do as a young, female, middle-class schoolteacher, but she had to think of something or no one else would! No one else cared enough about the servant girl to do anything for her. It was Lumenna's duty, as Gilraen's only friend, to do whatever she could. Problem was, could she do anything?

The winter months were very hard on the House of Feanor and everyone therein.

_**Whoa, extremely short chapter. Sorry about that.**_


	8. Spring Springs

**Chapter 8: Spring Springs**

To everyone's relief, by the beginning of March the snow had started to melt and the weather was considerably more pleasant. In a flash of inspiration, Lumenna started taking the boys on short hiking trips when it was particularly nice outside. These were enjoyed by all (particularly Celegorm, who said that she was the first teacher they'd ever had who did anything _interesting_). Even Maglor didn't seem as gloomy as usual.

Lumenna was in a bit of a rut about Maglor. Maedhros may have been a bit of a slacker, Celegorm may have been rather spoiled, Caranthir may have been stubborn, and Curufin may have been impudent, but at least they participated in class and seemed to actually _care_. Maglor barely even tried.

"Maedhros," Lumenna once dared to ask, "do you know why Maglor is so quiet? Sometimes I worry about him."

Maedhros shrugged. "He's just like that. Doesn't like to draw attention to himself. Dad's a little hard on him sometimes, so I guess that's part of it. But he's cool in his way."

That explained a bit, though certainly not everything. Lumenna wondered if she should give up on trying to figure out Maglor and concentrate on teaching the other boys. It would be much easier, if it wasn't totally honorable.

"Lumenna, I'm ashamed of you!" she scolded herself. "Since when have you given up on something just because it's difficult? There's got to be some way to help Maglor."

_That's what you said about Gilraen, and look at how that's turning out_, said her conscience nastily. Unfortunately, this was true. Lumenna had nearly given up on Gilraen as well. It was awful to see her friend like that, but she couldn't think of any kind of a plan. With a sigh, Lumenna leaned back and closed her eyes.

At the moment she was sitting in the garden, watching the daylight fade. It was so warm and peaceful here…she could almost imagine that she was a little girl again, and didn't have to worry about money or anything else…

"Hello, Lady Lumenna. I didn't know you were here."

Lumenna's eyes snapped open, and she sat up. Feanor was standing next to the bench she was sitting on.

"Oh…er…good evening, Lord Feanor," she said quickly. "It's very nice out, isn't it?"

"That it is," agreed Feanor. "I must say, Lady Lumenna, that you're doing an excellent job with the boys. They keep telling me how enjoyable your nature lessons are."

"Well, they're very enjoyable boys," said Lumenna. "Before I came, I have to admit that I was a bit nervous about this job, but it's turned out very well. I really enjoy teaching here."

Feanor laughed. "I can see why you'd be nervous. The prospect of teaching five boys must be very intimidating. But you're a great deal better than any other tutor we've ever had. You should be very proud of yourself, Lumenna."

"Thank you," said Lumenna. She was racking her brains for something else to say when Feanor yawned.

"Well, I guess I'd better be getting inside. Good night."

"Good night."

Feanor turned and left. Lumenna stared at the darkening sky for a few more minutes before doing the same.

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The next day was Friday, and so in the evening Lumenna packed her bags and took her usual carriage home. The driver grinned as she climbed aboard.

"Hello again, milady," he said. "How goes the job?"

"Not bad, thanks," said Lumenna. "It's easier now that the winter's over."

"Aye, I know how that is," said the driver knowingly. "Winter's hard on the young folk."

Lumenna agreed, and returned to staring at the road ahead. It was odd, she thought. Here I am, going home for the first time in weeks, and yet I don't feel like it. I actually miss Feanor's house. Could it be that I've grown away from my family?

"Milady?" said the driver, interrupting her thoughts. "Out of curiosity, what's your name?"

"Good heavens, we never did get around to that, did we?" said Lumenna. "I'm Lumenna. You?"

"Alferin."

"All right, then. Nice to meet you, Alferin."

"Nice to meet you, too."

"Alferin, I have a question. Why did you decide to become a carriage driver? It can't pay very well.

"No, it doesn't," said Alferin. "But I'm not in it for the money. First of all, I've always loved traveling, and this gives me a chance to do that. Second, I like people, and I meet all sorts of interesting ones as a driver. And anyway, I like to be of some use to society. So this job is just about perfect for me. I enjoy helping folks."

"It's the same way with me and teaching. I like to think that I'm helping these kids get a better future."

"So what'll you do when all of Feanor's boys are grown?" asked Alferin.

"Who knows? Maybe I'll start teaching at the public school, or get a job with another royal family." She laughed. "Or maybe I'll be teaching Feanor's grandchildren!"

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Tasare and Elenion, not surprisingly, were delighted to see their daughter, as she hadn't come home for the past three weekends. Elenion declared that if it hadn't been for her few letters, he would have given her up for lost.

"You guys know perfectly well that I would've come home if I hadn't had so much work," said Lumenna. This wasn't strictly true—she actually hadn't had a lot of work to do on the weekends—but she couldn't tell her parents that she felt more at home in Tirion now. "I've been so busy! But I have missed you awfully. How's everyone?"

"I'm glad you asked!" exclaimed Tasare. "You remember Carnemirie from next door? She finally had her baby! It's a girl, which is too bad because I think her husband wanted a boy, but it's perfectly healthy and just _adorable_…"

Lumenna smiled as her mother prattled on about their neighbor's new baby. Carnemirie was a good friend of Tasare's, and Lumenna had always rather liked her. Elenion, on the other hand, rolled his eyes and said something about how women were completely obsessed with babies and he couldn't understand it.

"Ma," said Lumenna, when there was a break in the conversation, "we're not going to visit Grandmamma this weekend, are we?"

Tasare looked guilty. "No, we won't have the time. I'm cleaning out the house for spring and it's my main priority."

Lumenna sighed with relief, earning her a sharp look from her mother. "Lumenna, that's not very nice. Your Grandmamma Anarrima is a very lonely woman. You ought to enjoy visiting her."

"Well, I don't know about the latter statement, but it's true that Mother's very lonely," said Elenion. "Father's gone quite often, and she doesn't really have any friends, not since that girl Lassiel got married nineteen years ago."

"Lassiel?" said Lumenna in surprise. "But that's Gilraen's mother's name!" Gilraen had told Lumenna about her mother in detail, but had never mentioned Lassiel knowing Grandmamma Anarrima.

"Funny coincidence, that," said Elenion. "Anyway, I do feel sorry for Mother sometimes. I actually think she misses having someone to look out for."

This sentence stuck in Lumenna's head long after they'd stopped talking about Grandmamma Anarrima. _She misses having someone to look out for_— there had to be some way she could use that. But for the life of her, Lumenna couldn't figure out how.

It didn't come to her until that night, when she was lying sleeplessly in bed. An idea so perfect that, if she played her cards right, it couldn't possibly fail.

"Of course!" whispered Lumenna. "Why didn't I think of that before?"


	9. One Heck of a Miracle

**Chapter 9: One Heck of a Miracle**

The next morning, before she'd even had a chance to eat breakfast, Lumenna threw on her cloak and ran downtown to see her grandmother. It was chilly and grey outside—definitely not the best day for a long walk—but she barely felt it. Without bothering to knock, she threw open the doors of Grandmamma Anarrima's house and sprinted to the parlor, where she paused in the entrance and called, "Grandmamma?"

Grandmamma Anarrima looked up from her cup of tea. "Lumenna," she said stiffly. "I wasn't expecting you. What do you want?"

Normally Lumenna would have been slightly unnerved by this, but today she was on a mission and couldn't be sidetracked. Completely windburnt and out of breath, she collapsed into a chair. "I know you don't want to see me, Grandmamma Anarrima. But please hear me out. I need a favor from you."

"A favor?" said Grandmamma Anarrima, looking surprised. "But I thought you had everything you needed. Whatever could _you _want from _me_?"

"It's not for me," said Lumenna. "It's for a girl I know. You remember your friend Lassiel?"

"Of course," said Grandmamma Anarrima. "What of her?"

"Well, she has a daughter named Gilraen, and it's Gilraen I need you to help. Her family's broke and her father drinks, and she's in an awful state. So here's what I need you to do…"

As she outlined her plan, the expression of disdain on Grandmamma Anarrima's face faded, to be replaced by an odd smile. When Lumenna had finished, she nodded gravely.

"Yes, I think I can do that."

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After Grandmamma Anarrima's approval, our heroine wasn't at all surprised when, on Monday afternoon, Gilraen burst into her room with an expression of utter joy on her face.

"Lumenna!" she cried. "You'll never guess what's happened!"

Lumenna smiled and put down the paper she was correcting. "It must be something excellent. Come on, tell me everything."

"Well, it was like this," said Gilraen. "and mind you, I'm just going to tell it as I remember it, so it won't be a perfect account."

This is the story as Gilraen told it.

She had been helping her mother, Lassiel, make supper. Her father, Ondoher, was outside chopping wood. They didn't really have any need for firewood, but at least he wasn't off gambling. Gilraen had been feeling very tired and depressed that day, a combination of the weather and the fact that they'd had to sell her mother's wedding dress that morning.

"That dress was beautiful," she told Lumenna. "Mother always said that I could have it someday, and I was devastated when we sold it. But anyway, there I was making supper, when Father came in and said that there was some lady here to see Mother."

They'd gone to the door, where a tall, silver-haired lady in a red dress was standing. Lassiel's eyes brightened when she saw her.

"Anarrima?" she said hopefully.

"Lassiel," said the lady coolly. "I haven't seen you in years. How are you? Don't answer that, I can see you're absolutely destitute."

"Now, see here, woman," said Ondoher. "What gives you the right to come here and insult the lot of us? You get out of my house unless you've got something useful to say."

"Do be quiet, sir," said Anarrima, looking down her nose at Ondoher. "Lassiel, I'll cut to the chase. You were a good friend to me once, and I'm going to repay you for that. My granddaughter says you have a child?"

"Yes, we do," said Lassiel. "This is Gilraen."

Anarrima eye her approvingly. "She looks like you. Very nice. Lassiel, I've come to tell you that I've decided to adopt Gilraen here."

"A…adopt her?" stuttered Lassiel.

"Yes. I'll take her to live with me, and see that she gets a good education and a proper home, until she comes of age and can get a job. And," she said, with a sweeping glance around the tiny house," since it will obviously be some time before you can deal with them yourself, I've paid off all your debts."

Lassiel gasped. "Oh, thank you, Anarrima!"

"You're very welcome. And Lassiel, I suggest you get a job, to bring in a bit more money. Become a seamstress or something of the like. As for you, sir—"Anarrima scowled at Ondoher— "_stop _drinking, _stop_ gambling, and _become a competent blacksmith_!"

Silence filled the room. Anarrima looked pleased.

"Well, that's settled, then. I suppose you'll be wanting some money to buy your things back. Don't worry, you'll get some."

"And suppose we don't want your charity?" said Ondoher fiercely.

Anarrima gave him a superior half-smile. "Too bad. Come along, Gilraen."

"What about my things?" asked Gilraen, who'd been watching the entire conversation with awe.

"You won't be needing them," said Anarrima. She grabbed Gilraen by the arm and practically dragged her out the door.

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"So that's what happened," said Gilraen. "Really, Lumenna, I don't see why you think Anarrima's so awful. She's absolutely wonderful to me."

"I suppose I've misjudged her," said Lumenna. She was working hard not to grin. Her plan had worked! Really, it was too bad she couldn't tell anyone. But she wanted to keep her part in this a secret, or Gilraen might be annoyed with her. You could never tell how people would react if they found out that you'd been plotting to improve their lives.

"Oh, Lumenna, everything's perfect," sighed Gilraen.

"Yes indeed," said Lumenna. "Almost everything."


	10. Maglor's Explanation

**Chapter 10: Maglor's Explanation**

To be sure, things did seem to be perfect. Gilraen was happy, Grandmamma Anarrima was happy, Gilraen's parents were out of debt and getting back on their feet, the weather was lovely, and Feanor and Nerdanel were pleased with their sons' progress in lessons. But Lumenna still wasn't totally content. Ever since she'd gotten this job, she'd had two main concerns: Gilraen's poverty and Maglor's silence. The former she'd solved. The latter was still a problem.

It was mid-May, only until two weeks until summer began and Lumenna got a few months off. She couldn't deny that she was looking forward to it. Back when she was younger, she lived for the summer— three months of freedom, staying up all night, and flirting with various of Alqualonde's eligible teenage bachelors. Those days were over, but Lumenna still loved summer more than any other season.

"I guess I've never really grown up," she thought out loud, gazing out the window of Feanor's extensive library.

"That's what I kind of figured."

Lumenna nearly jumped out of her skin and whirled around. Maglor stood behind her, leaning against a bookcase. He stepped out of the shadows. "Sorry if I surprised you. I didn't know you were in here."

"That's all right, I'm fine," said Lumenna. "What brings you here? This isn't exactly a much-visited spot."

"Exactly. My brothers are driving me crazy and so I decided to come in here. They avoid this place like the plague." He stopped, seeing the look on Lumenna's face. "What's so shocking about that? You know what my brothers are like…oh, you're surprised that I'm actually talking, aren't you?"

"Actually, yes, I am," said Lumenna. "I was under the impression that you didn't have a lot to say."

"Just because I don't talk much doesn't mean that I don't have anything to say," said Maglor. "You're smart, you should know that."

"So why is it that you don't talk much?" asked Lumenna. "If you don't mind me asking."

Maglor sat down with a sigh. "I find my life is a lot easier if I just keep my mouth shut. Ever since I was five I've been getting myself into trouble by saying the wrong thing."

Lumenna remembered Maedhros saying how when Maglor was five he'd made their tutor quit. She sat down and leaned forward eagerly. "Why, what happened when you were five? I've been wondering that for ages."

"You were listening to our council, huh?" said Maglor. "No, don't apologize. I would've, too.

"Back when I was five, we had a teacher named Lady Quesse. She was very blond and very pretty, and Maedhros and I both adored her. Problem was, she had no creativity. For her, straying from the prepared lesson was a horrible sin.

"One day she was teaching a lesson on subtraction, and made the mistake of asking me, 'Maglor, if I have five apples and I take three away, how many do I have?'

"'Three,' I said.

"Lady Quesse shook her head. 'No, I have _two_.'

"'But don't you have the three you took away from the five?' I asked.

"Lady Quesse apparently decided that it was hopeless to try to teach me anything and quit the next day. Ever since then I've spoken as little as possible. It's just easier for everyone."

Lumenna raised an eyebrow at him. "So you're going to let one obviously underqualified teacher turn you into a mute?"

Maglor looked up. "Pardon?"

"That Lady Quesse was completely daft to quit just because you gave her an answer that was unusually insightful for a five-year-old," said Lumenna. "Is _that_ the only reason you're so quiet?"

"Well, mostly," said Maglor. "It's partly Dad's fault, too. He's never really approved of me."

"Why not?"

"Because I'm not like my brothers," said Maglor. "I'm not athletic, I'm not a smith, I'm not even that smart. I don't do very well in lessons. I hate hunting and riding. I think forgework is dull. I'm _useless_."

"There's got to be something you're good at," pressed Lumenna. "No one's utterly useless."

"Well," said Maglor thoughtfully, "I do have a pretty good singing voice. But what good is that going to do me? It's not exactly the sort of thing Noldorin princes are supposed to be good at."

"Let's hear it."

"Hmm?"

"Sing something. If you're any good it doesn't matter that it's abnormal."

"Um, okay," said Maglor. "Here goes…" He leaned back in his chair and started singing.

Lumenna stared at him. She hadn't thought it was possible for a fourteen-year-old boy to have a voice like that. She also realized that this was what she must have overheard that cloudy December day. But one thought was prominent in her mind: This kid was absolutely incredible.

"That was _amazing_," she said when he had finished. "And your father thinks_ that's _useless?"

Maglor reddened slightly. "Er…he doesn't know, not really. I never told him I was interested in music because I figured he'd be disappointed in me."

"Well, you'd better tell him now," said Lumenna. "This is something he should know about."

"Oh, no, I couldn't!" said Maglor. "I'd be terrified. I always have trouble talking to Dad."

"Fine, then, I'll tell him myself," said Lumenna determinedly. "Believe me, Maglor, keep practicing and one day the entire world will know your name."

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"Good afternoon, Lady Lumenna," said Feanor, looking up from his desk. "How can I help you?"

"I need to talk to you," said Lumenna. "About your son Maglor."

"What about Maglor?" asked Feanor. It occurred to Lumenna that this was Feanor's usual attitude towards his second son in all respects. What _about _Maglor?

"He tells me that you don't really approve of him, because he's not like his brothers," said Lumenna. "And you said yourself that he isn't interested in anything that you consider useful. Am I right?"

Feanor looked rather bewildered. "Yes, I did say that. But what does that have to do with anything?"

"What it has to do with anything, Lord Feanor, is that you're wrong. Just because Maglor doesn't act like his brothers doesn't mean he's a waste of time. The boy has incredible musical talent, and you should be _encouraging _him, dangit!" Without meaning to, Lumenna banged her fist on the desk. Feanor gave her an odd look.

"You obviously feel very strongly about this, Lady Lumenna."

"Yes, Lord Feanor," said Lumenna. "Sorry to lose my temper like that."

"Don't worry about it. I like a teacher with guts. You've made your point very clear, and I promise that I'll do my best to encourage Maglor from now on. Will that do?"

"Definitely. Thank you."

Lumenna was halfway up the stairs to her room when she realized what had happened. The Sons of Feanor liked her, Feanor and Nerdanel approved of her teaching methods, Gilraen had a good home, and Maglor had regained his confidence.

_She'd won!_

_**Note: And one day, the entire world did know Maglor's name. But it wasn't exactly in a good way.**_


	11. How it All Turned Out

**Chapter 11: How it All Turned Out**

Four years later, Lumenna stood on the balcony outside Feanor's banquet hall on a warm spring night. She could hear music and laughter coming from inside the house. It was Maedhros' coming-of-age feast, and she really ought to have been inside, but things had gotten a little too loud for her. Besides, she barely knew any of the guests.

Hearing footsteps, she glanced over her shoulder. Maedhros had just walked onto the balcony, a glass of wine in one hand. "Hey, Lady Lumenna," he said. "More peaceful out here, huh?"

"Sure is," agreed Lumenna. She grinned at Maedhros. "It's hard to think of you as being an adult. Why, it seems like only yesterday that you were seventeen and flirting with me while I tried to teach you history."

"I wasn't flirting with you!" protested Maedhros.

"You told me I had very pretty eyes," said Lumenna. "What was that all about?"

"I was trying to be friendly! So you'd feel welcome! Why you'd think I was flirting with you I don't know…"

"You were so totally flirting with her, Maedhros. Don't try to deny it," said Maglor, appearing on the balcony. Over the past four years, Maglor had gone from sulky and silent to clever, popular, and handsome. Lumenna had noticed several girls eyeing him earlier in the evening.

"I was not," said Maedhros. "Gods, can't a guy compliment a girl without getting yelled at?"

"Not if she's your teacher," said Maglor. "Anyway, Lady Lumenna, Gilraen and her husband are here. Just thought you'd like to know."

Lumenna squealed with pleasure and ran in to greet her friend, who was by this point a historian in King Finwe's court, married to a very nice, well-off young man, and soon to have a baby. Living with Anarrima had definitely been good for her.

"Oh, Lumenna, it's wonderful to see you!" cried Gilraen, embracing her. "You must be _so _proud of Maedhros. It's because of you that he ended up completing his education, you know."

"Don't be silly, Gilraen," said Lumenna, slapping her lightly on the arm.

"No, I'm perfectly serious! I want you to teach my baby when she's born."

"What if it's not a girl?"

"When he's born, then. But I want it to be a girl. And I want to name her Lumenna."

"Aw, that's sweet. But I still have to teach the other six boys, you know. It'll be fourteen years until the twins are grown up." Amrod and Amras had started their official education two years before, and proved to be very lively pupils.

"Well, whenever you're available, we are," said Gilraen. "Excuse me for a moment, won't you?" She went to join her husband, leaving Lumenna standing by herself and wishing that she had someone else to talk to.

Celegorm ran up to her. "Hey, Lumenna, your boyfriend's here."

"Who's my boyfriend?" asked Lumenna.

"That carriage driver guy. I forgot his name. Anyway, he's down by the entrance."

"Alferin is not my boyfriend," said Lumenna sternly. "But thanks. Say hello to your mother for me, will you?" Without waiting for a reply, she hurried to the entrance, where Alferin was helping a lady in a long black dress out of the carriage.

"Have a nice evening, Ma'am," he was saying. "Oh, hello, Lumenna. Fancy seeing you here."

"Hello, Alferin," said Lumenna. "Celegorm told me you were here, and so I absolutely _had_ to come and talk to you."

"I'm always happy to see you, Lumenna," said Alferin, bowing gallantly. "So how are all the boys?"

"They're all doing wonderfully. Oh, and Gilraen says that she wants me to tutor her baby when it's old enough. I can't believe that only four years ago she was a destitute maidservant with a drunken father."

"I hear her father's doing very well for himself these days. Apparently his forgework skills have greatly improved."

"Yes, Gilraen is very proud of him." Lumenna sighed. "Isn't it funny how fast time goes by, Alferin? Look at me. I'm twenty-six and getting no younger. I should've been married five years ago. What's going to become of me? Will I just be an old maid teacher all my life?"

"Quite honestly, Lumenna, I couldn't say," said Alferin. "I haven't got the gift of prophecy. But I do know one thing. Whatever happens, you'll be able to deal with it."

The two of them smiled at each other for a moment, perfectly serene.

"Say, Lumenna," said Alferin softly. "Has anyone ever told you what pretty eyes you have?"

**The End**

**(Finally)**

**_Maid of Imladris, your review made me super happy. Thanks a million!_**


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